Purpose
by AnimeLover200013
Summary: Blu and Kat live on an island, miles away from Berk, and in a village that still suffers from dragon attacks. When their village is burnt down, they are thrown head first into adventure, along with their wild card dragons, Aleksandr and Dijiri. The girls and their dragons sail across the ocean, searching for their true purpose. TAKES PLACE AFTER HTTYD 2. OC'S INCLUDED. NO PAIRINGS.
1. The Attack

**A/N: Welcome to my newest project! First, a quick disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, IT BELONGS TO DREAMWORKS AND CRESSIDA COWELL. And now for a dedication: This story is dedicated to my dear friend, Kaycee, and her dream for adventure. ****Please enjoy the first chapter!**

**WARNINGS: minor language, violence, and spoilers for How To Train Your Dragon 2. **

"Ow, fricken' shitalki mushrooms!" I yowled, grasping my finger and glaring at the wooden beam. "It's your fault," I hissed at it, pouting as I gazed at the splinter protruding from the pad of my index finger.

"Kat?" I turned, looking for the person who called my name.

"Blu? Help, I've been attacked!" I cried, turning to meet the figure walking down the side of the hill. She raised one red eyebrow as her multi-colored gaze landed on the sliver of wood.

"Kat, I think you're overreacting," she laughed, grasping my finger and yanking on the splinter.

"Ow! You jerk! You don't just yank it out!"

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Give it tender love and care until it packs its bags and moves out," I responded with a pout. She giggled and rolled her eyes, bumping her arm into mine. I looked back at the wood beam and sighed, the amusement fading away.

"Say, can you help me carry this up the hill?" I asked, jabbing a thumb in the plank's direction. She nodded, moving to crouch on the other side of the plank. We lifted it up with a few soft grunts and balanced it on our shoulders, marching underneath its weight. The sun beat down on our backs, causing sweat to trickle down our temples. At the top of the hill, we stopped, placing the beam next to the other that had been hauled up earlier in the day. I gazed at the ocean that crashed against the rocky shore of the island, it's salty smell and fresh breeze lifting my hair and cooling my skin.

"Kat," Blu whispered, her own gaze taking in the common, but still breathtaking view, "Why can't we just leave?" she asked, her brow furrowing slightly. I sighed and plopped down on the stack of beams, patting the spot beside me. Once she was seated I pointed at the ocean and gave her a look.

"We are surrounded by ocean, Blu. How would you suggest we get off this island?"

"A boat."

"And how do you suggest we get a boat? Commandeer one of the warships? Smuggle out a flimsy row boat?" She shrugged, her eyes pinning me with that gaze that said she was dead set on this and would not give up.

"Whatever it takes. I'm tired of doing nothing with my life and being unhappy with where it's going," she said, grabbing my shoulder. I sighed again, running a hand through my tangled hair.

"I know. I am too, but we can't just leave. We need food, water, and other supplies. Not to mention that we have to leave without being caught."

"That's the easy part. No one will know we're missing," she said, getting to her feet. I frowned at the truthfulness the words held. No one would ever notice that two unimportant orphans had gone missing. We could be dead and the villagers would never know. With a huff I stood, stretching and twisting. Blu stepped up beside me and linked our arms together, a wide grin set on her face. I pushed her playfully and we both laughed, eager to be rid of the serious atmosphere, though we both know that we would have to address the issue again. The lush woods around us were full of spring time life. Squirrels chased each other over sturdy tree limbs, birds chirped their merry song, leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and the flowers bloomed.

"I love spring time," I whispered, inhaling the clean, fresh pine scented air and closed my eyes, relying on Blu to lead me.

"Me too. The flowers are the best part, though the pollen sucks," she said, rubbing her allergy stuffed nosed. I chuckled and sneezed. Now it was her turn to laugh. We continued on through the forest, chattering about this and that, content with our leisurely pace. We were a mile from the village when I stopped dead, eyes wide.

"Kat, what-?" then she smelled it. Smoke, thick and dark, made lazy patterns in the sky, it's scent disgustingly familiar.

"Dragons," I whispered. Blu tugged me forward and soon we were sprinting toward our village, hearts beating rapidly. We stumbled up the hill that hid our village from the general view and gazed down at the orange and black chaos that was our home. Viking villagers scrambled about, war cries falling from their chapped lips and axes swinging above their heads. Dragons roared their own war cries, diving from the smoke choked sky, fire, talons, and fangs bared.

"Come on!" I screamed over the cacophony, grabbing her wrist and dragging her toward the second largest building in the entire village. The cone like building was on fire, but I slammed into the doors, barreling into the armory. I sprinted over to the weapons rack, leaving Blu at the entrance. I grabbed two soot stained short swords, and tossed one to Blu, who caught it with practiced ease. "Let's go!" I yelled, pushing her out of the collapsing armory and out into the battle. Nadders screeched as they ran through the streets, Gronckles barreled through houses and shacks, Zipplebacks chased sheep through the fields, and Nightmares clung to watchtowers, their bodies aglow with their own burning flames. I held my sword before me, senses on high alert as the battle between vikings and dragons raged on once more. I tensed as a Nadder landed right before us, it's head twitching to the side and its tail enlarging as its spikes prepared to launch. Blu tackled me to the ground as the razor sharp projectiles sailed over our heads and I clambered to my feet, lunging forward with a cry. My sword slid into the Nadder's neck, and I pushed it forward violently before twisting it and tugging it out. The Nadder fell with a gurgling cry, kicking its legs viciously in an attempt to stand, before it fell completely still.

I grabbed Blu's hand and tugged her up and away, fleeing into the shadows of the street, my breath coming in laborious pants. We collapsed against a stone wall, bodies shaking and eyes wide.

"I-I killed it," I gasped, staring at my blood speckled hands. I had never killed a dragon before, though Blu and I sparred frequently. For some reason, the thought was sickening instead of exciting. I was going to puke. I lurched forward, my stomach constricting and my throat burning as my stomach tried to claw its way out of my throat. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and resisted the urge to puke again. I could still smell its blood. Blu stumbled to her feet, grabbing my arm and hoisting me up.

"Come on, Kat," she whispered, wrapping her arm around my shoulders and letting me leen my weight against her. She half dragged me away from the dragon's body and out into the forest, knowing that we could not stay in the village that reeked of death and blood. I had dropped my sword when I...killed….the dragon, and now I felt completely naked in the shadowy forest. Blu clutched her's tightly, knuckles white as she carried me farther into the now quiet woods. "Kat, just breathe."

"Breathing is the problem," I panted, trying to keep the smell out of my nostrils.

"You need to calm down. You did what you had to," she comforted, but I could see the shakiness of her legs and the fear in her eyes.

"I know, but that doesn't make it any less disgusting," I replied, stumbling forward. We stopped near the woodpile from earlier, and it felt like it had been a year ago when we carried a piece up the rocky hill and talked about escape. She let her arm slip off my shoulders and she lowered me onto the pile, collapsing onto it right after.

"Why would they attack us now?" she asked, voice gravelly.

"I don't know," I replied, stretching out as I tried to get my adrenalin pumped body to relax. "How could we ever know the intentions of such creatures?" She said nothing, her grip never relaxing on the hilt of her sword. The ocean crashed and rumbled off in the distance, unaffected by the recent events. Why did killing that Nadder effect me so much? It was normal to kill dragons, and if I hadn't, Blu and I wouldn't be sitting there. I reached up to run a hand through my hair, but paused as my eyes landed on the dark scarlet of blood. I dropped my hand, feeling bile rise up in my throat. I pushed it away and focused on my quaking friend. Her eyes were closed and her shoulders were stiff. A frown furrowed her brows and her eyes fluttered open.

"Kat-" I held my hand up, body stiffening. The trees around as shivered and leaves fluttered to the ground. I could hear the distant thump of something heavy hitting the ground, and it began to grow louder and closer. The sound multiplied as hundreds of trees fell, their trail of destruction growing alarmingly closer.

"Timberjack!" I shouted, pushing Blu down on to the ground and using an arm to shield my head. There was a deafening shriek and I screamed with it, eyes squeezing shut as the tree line right before us collapsed. The ground rumbled and quaked as the dragon landed, its roar ringing through the forest. I grabbed for Blu's sword and scrambled to my feet, placing myself between it and her. My eyes bulged as I took in the size of the dragon. It was gigantic, horrifyingly so, and its glowing amber gaze burned into me. It had no legs, only two hooked talons on each wing that seemed to act as limbs as it slithered forward. It's body was a rusty color, head and talons darkened into a midnight black. The most impressive thing of the terrifying reptile, was its wings. Even folded, the dragon's wings were easily five times the size of a Nightmare's. I was not eager to find out what its full wing span was.

The sword seemed to weigh heavier as I looked at the dragon, images of the blood-choked Nadder filling my mind. I tried to shake them out; tried to focus on the man-eating beast in front of me. Blu had stood, her posture defensive as she held a broken piece of one of the wooden planks in front of her. The dragon crept forward and my grip tightened on the blade.

"Stay back!" I screamed at it, but it either didn't understand or ignored me. Maybe a mix of both. Its wings seemed to grow larger as it moved closer, wiry neck arched and jaw snapping. My heart beat wildly in my chest and I lunged. The dragon screeched, pushing its self back with surprising strength for a dragon without any legs. My sword grazed its snout, leaving a shallow gash that traveled from its left nostril, over its mouth, and to its chin. It seemed shocked at first, but it quickly switched to being furious, a deep, throaty snarl ripping out of its chest. It sprang forward, mouth open and front "feet" out stretched, talons gleaming. Pain flared through my arm and I was flung backwards, back slamming into the wooden pile.

I cried out, falling to my knees and clutching at my upper arm. My pain fogged mind barely registered Blu's scream as she flung herself forward, jumping up and bringing her splintered weapon down onto the dragon's head. It shrieked in anger, jaw snapping at her, but she ignored it, swiping at the animal's neck. it tried to rip through her with its talons, but she rolled beneath the dragon, using it's large size against it. It reared back, tail whipping back and forth. It lost its balance, falling back with a ground shuddering thump, its wings out stretched and flapping uselessly. Blu sprinted away from the upturned Timberjack and slid to a stop beside me.

"Kat! Kat!" she grabbed my hand and leaned forward, trying to meet by gaze.

"M'okay," I slurred, turning my head upward and giving her a lopsided grin. She sighed with relief and grabbed my uninjured arm.

"We have to get out of here," she said, hauling me to my feet and looking back at the struggling Timberjack. I swayed, vision darkening and pain shooting up from my elbow to my shoulder.

"This really hurts," I groaned, stumbling into Blu.

"Kat, focus!" she hissed at me as I bumped her shoulder with my head.

"Everything's fuzzy," I mumbled. The Timberjack growled and shrieked behind her, trying to pull itself to it's "feet." She lifted my arm, draping it over her shoulders and then grabbed my waist, dragging me forward and into the forest.

"You know," I slurred, "if it gets up, we won't be able to hide from it. You saw what it did to the forest."

"Then what would you suggest I do?" she huffed, tripping over a tree root.

"The ocean," I said, pointing toward the rolling waves, "there's a cave along the mountain side. We have to get to it by swimming and the water'll wash our scent away." Blu nodded, multi-colored eyes sharp as she switched our direction. Descending to the beach was a hassle and I thought for sure I would pass out multiple times. The blood hadn't stopped flowing and had completely drenched my right side, leaving a sticky, crimson trail. It was when we reached the edge of the swirling water that we heard the Timberjack's shrill cry and the sound of trees falling to earth. Blu dragged me into the water hastily, her head bobbing just above the surface. I gritted my teeth against the pain of saltwater swishing against the long, jagged gash on my arm.

"Just a bit farther," Blu whispered to me as she helped me swim forward. I could see the cave on the mountain side and tried to move faster while fighting the dark creeping up on the edges of my vision. My arm throbbed with my erratic heartbeat, blood leaving a trail in the sea behind us. I could hear the Timberjack as it ripped through the forest, it's furious cry sending shivers down my spine. A wave rolled over my head, choking me with its salty taste. Blu pulled me back to the surface, her eyes shining with fatigue as she tried to keep me up. The cave was only a few feet away now, and I was sure the Timberjack was on the beach now. Blu submerged herself and I felt hands push at me from underneath, helping me to climb up into the dark, damp opening. Once I was up, I leaned over the edge and reached out with my good arm, helping Blu up into the cave. We collapsed onto our backs, panting and coughing.

"Come one...let's...get further...in," I gasped, crawling farther into the temporary shelter. She just nodded and followed. We moved into the back of the cave, the pitch black making it impossible to see anything. My back pressed against the wall and my head lolled backward and I closed my stinging eyes. My arm spasmed and I hissed, hand clutching at the wound. I reached down, finding the edge of a pant leg and tugging. The sound of fabric ripping echoed through the shelter and I winced.

"Here," I could feel Blu's hand brush against the torn off fabric and tug it out of my grasp. I guided her to the wound and she expertly tied the fabric over it, tightly in hopes to stop the bleeding.

"Thanks," I sighed, bringing my knees up so I could rest my head against them.

"Kat?"

"Yeah?" Blu hesitated, before saying, "Do you think it'll come after us?"

"The Timberjack? Nah, I heard they hate water," I mumbled.

"How do you think the village is doing?" she asked. I shrugged, then remembered she couldn't see me.

"I don't know, but there's one less Nadder they have to worry about," I chuckled, trying to pass it off as no big deal, but stopped once I felt the nausea build up again.

"Kat, are you okay? What happened with the Nadder-"

"Of course I'm okay. We're vikings. We're supposed to kill dragons," I replied, trying to convince myself that everything was okay.

"Don't lie to me. You hated killing it," she said, her words stabbing me. I was silent and I could hear her sigh.

"I...it just didn't feel right," I whispered, turning away from her. She groped for my shoulder and when she found it, she set it there gently.

"That's okay."

"How? Killing's in our blood!"

"We don't know what's in our blood," she replied. That was true. Neither of us had met our parents, so we really didn't know.

"Still. They were probably vikings that had killed hundreds of dragons before they died, or abandoned us, or disappeared, or whatever," I replied, not willing to let her win this one. Blu muttered something about "stubborn pain" before she just squeezed my shoulder and leaned against me, head resting on my shoulder. I knew she was falling asleep, and I could feel my own eyes and muddled mind cry for the same. I shifted slightly, resting my head on top of hers and closed my eyes. In the distance, a Timberjack screeched in anger, but I was too tired to care.

**A/N: And there we have the first chapter! This story will be updated on a weekly basis along with my other stories. **

**Reviews, suggestions, and constructive criticism are welcomed and appreciated. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you next week! BYE :D **


	2. In Ashes

**A/N: Welcome back to Purpose! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!**

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I woke up slowly and painfully. Blu mumbled in her sleep and confusion caused me to open my eyes. I could see the sea through a bright opening and I looked around, unsure as to where I was. I became aware of a weight on my left shoulder and looked to see Blu, who shifted restlessly and whispered something, eyes still closed. My other arm throbbed and I winced, everything coming back in one big, mind-numbing rush.

"Blu!" nothing. "Oi! Blu!" more nothing. "Wake up!" I shouted, fingers traveling to her side and dancing over the fabric there. Blu's eyes flew open and giggles poured out of her mouth as she squirmed, trying to get away from me and my torturous fingers.

"Stop!" she gasped, trying to crawl away. I laughed, but stopped, watching as she slid away from me, wiping away tears of laughter. We both sobered as our gazes turned to the entrance of the cave.

"We should leave, yeah?" I whispered, eyes meeting hers. She sighed, but nodded. I stood, ignoring the way my arm pulsed in protest. We shuffled to the entrance of the den, eyeing the ocean wearily. Neither of us like saltwater and weren't eager to get back in and swim all the way back to shore.

"I didn't realize how far away it was last night," Blu remarked, leaning slightly to eye the beach off in the distance.

"That's because it was either swim or get eaten," I said matter-of-factly. She hummed in agreement before asking, "Do you think he will be there?"

"He?"

"The Timberjack."

"It's a he?" Blu shuddered slightly.

"It's a he. Trust me, I got pretty up close and personal with it." I chuckled, despite the subject.

"Well, he could be, but I doubt it. I'm sure he has better things to do than wait for two scrawny girls to wash up on shore, dehydrated and injured." Blu rolled her eyes at me and glared at the water, sliding in slowly. I followed, trying desperately to keep my head above the water. By the time we were ashore, our muscles were throbbing, our breathing uneven, and my arm had gone completely numb from pain.

"Let's hurry to the village," I said, "before this gets any worse." We stepped forward, slowly climbing the hills with screaming legs and lungs. We reached the clearing where we had battled the Timberjack, and only then did I notice the true extent of the damage. Trees, towering oaks and weak sapplings, had been chopped through. The oddest thing, was that they weren't uprooted. Stumps stood in the trees' place, like a lumberjack had come through.

"Guess that's how they got the name _Timberjack_," I whispered, awestruck.

"That could've been us," Blu muttered uneasily.

"But it wasn't," I replied, stepping forward to inspect the damage up close.

"Kat, come on. We need to get to the village," Blu said, eyes flicking around nervously. Sensing her discomfort, I nodded and turned away from the Timberjack's trail, heading the opposite direction and toward the village.

"How do you think they're doing?" Blu asked after a moment.

"Who? The villagers? We'll probably show up and they'll all be there, soot covered and hair smoking. Then they'll tell us to go collect wood for repairs and forget we ever existed," I replied, moving a low hanging tree branch out of the way.

"Well," Blu began good naturedly, "at least we won't have to worry about chopping down trees." I looked to my right and saw that the Timberjack's trail had spread all the way out here.

"Wow," I gaped, "that's insane! There's a monstrous wing span on that beast!" Of course, I had guessed that, but seriously? That was crazy. Blu didn't look as awed, her eyes glowing with a certain worry that I didn't understand.

"What are you worrying about?" I asked, slowing so that I was walking right beside her.

"Nothing," she replied, refusing to meet my gaze. I poked her side and grinned.

"Oh, come on. If I can't lie to you, you can't lie to me." Blu was silent, shaking her head. I huffed and crossed my arms, but I wasn't really angry. Sometimes, you just can't explain something or don't want to. "We're close." Blu looked up now, eyes tracing the smoke trails that still rose up from the village's location.

"Great," she muttered. I nudged her with my shoulder, giving her that "everything-will-be-okay" smile. She grinned with me, her shoulders relaxing. We climbed up the hill leading to our village, legs protesting the whole way.

"No way," I whispered in despair. The whole village was up in flames. Houses, windmills, storage shacks, and animal pens burned in hungry yellows and oranges, but that's not what had my mind reeling and my heart beating erratically. Corpses. There were dead bodies littered all over the streets, both dragon and human. They were bloodied, ripped up, and pale. I turned away quickly, eyes wide as I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening.

"It's all gone. They're all gone," I choked, hands clutching at my stomach. Blu fell to her knees, hands gripping at her fiery hair. I collapsed beside her, refusing to look at the scene behind me.

"We have to go," I said quietly. When neither of us moved, I grabbed Blu's wrist and pulled her up, running away from our home. Tears, not tears of sorrow or grief, but tears made of frustration streamed down my cheeks. I wasn't upset over the loss of the village. I had no emotional ties to that place other than Blu, and she was right here. I cried because these things just kept happening and now we had no where to go. My feet lead me down a well worn path, Blu right on my heels.

Low hanging branches and thorns cut and scraped against our faces as we continued with our frantic retreat. I faintly realized that the usually lively forest was completely silent. We reached a small pile of rocks, obviously a man-made marker, and went left of them. The trees around us slowly got taller and the shrubs larger as we ran. I skidded to a stop, feet knocking rocks loose.

Below us was a tiny clearing, complete with it's own bubbling river and tall, swaying grass. I turned, walking along the edge of the cliff, looking for the next marker. There! I furiously wiped away the drying tears on my cheeks and grabbed the rope that coiled around a sturdy oak. After making sure the rope was secure and anchored to the tree, I handed the untied end to Blu, who wrapped it around her waist. I helped her tie it up and she turned, beginning her descent into the clearing. When her feet touched the ground, she untied the rope and tugged on it, signaling to me that I could pull it up. I did just that and then secured it around my own waist, moving backward so that I could begin my climb down the cliff.

My feet touched caressing blades of grass and I untied the rope, leaving it to hang there for when we wanted to climb up. I stumbled over to the river and my knees gave out, dumping me onto the rough ground. I looked down at the river, examining my reflection numbly. Same old cinnamon hair and golden-brown eyes. I gingerly fingered the tiny cuts that littered my features and winced, pulling away. I bent down and reached out, scooping up a handful of cool, saltless water. I lifted the water up to my lips and drank thirstily. Blu joined me, both of us drinking until our stomachs hurt. I sat back, staring up at the cloudless sky, trying to ignore the foggy smoke trails.

"It seems you get your wish," I remarked. Blu looked up at me with one raised brow, "Escape." Blu looked away and her shoulders slumped.

"I never wanted it to be like this," she told me.

"I know." And I did. I didn't want the village to be completely wiped out, no matter how much I hated it or didn't care about it. The villagers were still people. Blu scooted closer to me, leaning up against my side.

"Kat, what're we going to do?" she asked softly. I was silent as I tried to gather my frazzled thoughts, thinking about everything we would need to do.

"Well, we need to go back to the village-"

"What?" Blu shouted, springing upright, eyes wild.

"There might be edible food we can find, weapons we can get, or maybe one of the village's boats," I explained.

"Can't we just hunt?" she asked.

"With what? We don't have bows or daggers or anything. Not to mention that all of the forest wildlife was scared away by the dragons and fire." Blu looked away.

"I don't want to go back there," she whispered. I crawled toward her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Neither do I," I assured her, "but we have to." Blu looked up, gaze meeting mine, and my eyes widened with how much trust was in their depths. "Thank you," I whispered sincerely. I stood, ignoring her confused look and strode over to the rope. "We better get moving. The sun is setting." Blu scrambled to her feet and followed me up our ascent to the cliff. We walked slowly, neither of us eager to relive the carnage and emptiness of the village.

"Hey, Blu?"

"Yeah?" I paused for a moment.

"I'm sorry all of this happened." Blu's eyes softened and she looped her arm through mine.

"It's not your fault. You did all you could at the moment," she reassured me. I offered her a soft smile, feeling slightly better. We marched up the village's hill, arms linked together and lips pulled into frowns. We stood there, watching the smoke rise from smoldering buildings, determined not to let it affect us more than it already had. I looked out to the setting sun and tugged Blu's arm.

"Let's go, before anymore dragons show up." We both stepped forward, eyes already watering and lungs already burning.

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**A/N: And that's the end for chapter two! I hope you liked this chapter and will come back for next week's update.**

**Thank you for reading! Reviews are appreciated and smothered with love! I will see you all for Chapter 3: Deal With the Devil! BYE :D**


	3. Deal With the Devil

**A/N: Wow a week has already passed? Jeez...**

* * *

We headed for the smoke house first. The small building's roof had partially collapsed and embers still glowed menacingly on its wooden structure. I pressed my hand against the door and pushed it open, peeking inside. After making sure there were no dangers, we slipped inside, leaving the door open behind us.

"I'm surprised the dragons didn't completely clean this place out," I whispered, eyeing the hanging meat that dangled before me. Blu nodded in agreement, looking the variety of food over for any damage that made them unedible. She pulled a few off their hooks, throwing them to the side.

"How are we going to carry it all?" she asked, eyeing the amount of food. I turned, surveying the building for anything that could be used to carry the food back to our clearing. I grinned, stepping toward a dark corner of the smoke house.

"We'll use this," I said triumphantly, raising the abandoned fish basket up. Blu grinned, snatching the basket and beginning to pile the meat into it. She made an icky face at the fish and laughed.

"I know you don't like it, but it's still food and you'll appreciate it when you're starving." She sighed and put the smoked cod into the basket. A minute later, we were creeping through the village, feet moving toward the armory. I shifted the basket that now rested on my back and followed Blu further into the shadows.

"Damn," Blu growled, looking up at the charred armory. The roof had completely collapsed and a few fires still ate away at the previously sturdy building. "There's no way we're getting in there." I grunted in agreement. A glimmer of light out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned. A fallen viking sprawled in the street, his body stained in lively crimson. Beside him, reflecting the glowing fires, was a sword. Blu followed my gaze and her eyes hardened. She stepped forward, ignoring my week calls for her to come back, and bent down, lifting the sword up and stepping away. Her shoulder were stiff and II could see the way her hands shook. I gently directed her away from the area, eager to leave myself.

"Is that it?" she asked, still tense.

"Food, a weapon, we can get water from the clearing's river…" I racked my brain for anything else. An idea popped into my head and I said, "Let's go to the docks." Blu caught on quickly and we turned, stepping hastily down the dirt path. A long case of wooden stairs led down to the docks and we practically fell down them in our haste to get to the bottom. We jumped down the last four stairs and I stumbled to a stop, looking up at the boats. The waves danced with the orange light glowing from the burning ships. All of them were aglow. I cursed and fisted my hair angrily.

"Why? What else could possibly go wrong?" I screeched, pacing furiously.

"Kat, we can still do this," Blu cried, halting my movement and pressing our foreheads together.

"How? We have no means to get off this Odin forsaken island!"

"The wood pile," she grinned. My eyes widened at her implication.

"Are you suggesting we build our own ship?"

"Yup," she chirped.

"But we don't know how to build a ship."

"We are two strong, independent women. We can figure it out," she responded.

"Well, we better get going then," I replied, grabbing her hand and sprinting up the stairs. We soared through the burning village, hearts pumped with hope. The twenty minute trip to the grotto seemed to take only three. We sprawled out on the grass, arms tucked underneath our heads as we stared up at the stars.

"We're actually doing it," Blu whispered, "we're actually leaving."

"Yup. Although, I wished we had a little bit of notice before we dived head first into escape." She chuckled a bit. I traced constellations with my eyes, relishing in the cool, smoke-free air.

"Kat?"

"Yeah?" Blu turned onto her side, capturing my gaze with her's.

"You have to promise me that no matter what happens, we'll never leave each other's sides," she said, as serious as she could be.

"I promise," I replied, lifting my finger up and crossing to over my heart. She relaxed slightly and beamed down at me, flopping back onto her back. I closed my eyes and smiled. No matter what, I'd still have my best friend at my side.

* * *

"Kat?" I grumbled, rolling over and frowning. "Kat, get up! Now!" Something jabbed me in the side and I yelped, squirming away. Blu, in all of her bed-headed glory, crouched in front of me, glaring daggers. I opened my mouth, snarky comment on the tip of my tongue, but I was cut off with a finger to the chest.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, hands fiddling with her hair. I laughed, getting to my feet and stretching. I moved to the stream, bending low to scoop up a hand full of cold water. I drank greedily then splashed some onto my neck, closing my eyes and sighing contentedly. Bluu tossed me a canteen that she had hidden in the clearing months ago and I filled it with the pure water. My gaze turned upward and I noted that it was around eight o'clock. With a sigh, I turned toward Kaycee, who was pulling what looked like smoked beef out of the basket. She tossed a slice to me and I bit into it, only now realizing that I was starving. We ate in silence, too focused on our roaring stomachs to talk. I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand and helped Blu to her feet.

"Alright, to the wood pile we go," I muttered, stepping toward the rope. The forest was a silent as it was yesterday, and I vaguely wondered where all the dragons from the raid had gone. The woodpile seemed unharmed, but I knew the amount that was there would never be enough to build what we needed. I turned, eyes landing on the fallen trees from the Timberjack's rampage. "Well, at least we wont have to chop down trees," I remarked. Blu followed my gaze and frowned.

"How will we cut it though?" she asked, stepping toward one of the fallen trees. I groaned loudly, tossing my head back.

"Seriously, this is so complicated." Blu rolled her eyes and looked down at the sword she had brought along.

"Would this work?" she wondered. I looked it over and took it into my hands.

"It might, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't." She nodded, taking the sword back and turning to face the tree. I followed, pressing my hands against it's bark.

"Let's get to it." We took turns shaving off the bark. Blu started, pressing the sword horizontally to the surface of the tree and moving it forward in strong, slow strokes. The bark came off easily, the ocean's humidity making it moist and soft. The sun beat down on our backs and sweat dripped down our temples. We were half way done by the time noon came around.

"Let's take a break," I gasped, flopping onto the ground. Luckily, Blu was smart enough to bring two strips of smoked meat as lunch. We lounged against the woodpile, eating and chatting about whatever came to mind. I was about to comment on my ideas for the boat, when Blu held up her hand, eyes narrowed and body tense. She shifted, grabbing the sword at her side and my eyes widened.

"Where?" I asked, moving so that I was crouched and ready to move.

"I don't know," she whispered back, eyes moving quickly over our surroundings.

"There!" I shouted, but it was too late. The Timberjack sprang forward, long neck outstretched and mouth opened, showing of sharp teeth. I rolled to the side, hand flying to my waist. I cursed when my hand did not land on a rough hilt. The Timberjack turned away from me, sensing that I posed no threat, and instead turned on my red haired friend. She held the sword in front of her, eyes gleaming with hidden strength. The humongous dragon towered over her, growling and snapping. My heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest as I watched my closest friend face the beast. It leapt and so did I.

"Stop!" I shouted, arms stretched out before me and head turned to the side, waiting for the impact. I could hear Blu breathing in my ear and warm air on my hands. I opened one eye cautiously, surprised that I felt no pain. I turned to face forward slowly, other eye opening carefully. The Timberjack stood, its nose inches away from my shaking palms. I froze, body tensing and eyes bulging. It's narrowed amber eyes stared at my hands, unmoving. I stepped back and it hissed dangerously. I froze once more, and I heard Blu's breath hitch.

"Okay, let's just calm down," I whispered, speaking to myself more than to the dragon. It snorted and the unexpected gust of hot breath made me jump, which made the dragon stiffen up. "No, no, it's okay, I just wasn't expecting that!"

"Kat, what are you doing?" Blu hissed into my ear.

"Trying to keep anyone from dying," I replied softly, eyes never leaving the wild card before me. The dragon's slitted eyes flickered over to Blu who stood behind me, fists clenched around the sword. A rumbling snarl rose up in the beast's chest and my heart skipped a beat. It's eyes were stuck on the sword in Blu's hands and I nodded to myself.

"Blu I need you to do something for me," I knew I had her attention, "drop the sword."

"What?" she rasped.

"Trust me," I replied, willing her to do it. Nothing happened for what seemed like an eternity, but Blu did not disappoint me. The clang of metal hitting the ground startled me, but I made a conscious effort to hold still. The Timberjack's sharp eyes followed the sword and then flicked up to mine. It's eyes were hypnotizing. The yellow seemed to swirl and shift around the cat-like pupil. I mentally shook myself and focused in on the dragon's stiff shoulders.

"Alright, now we're unarmed," I told it, tilting my head toward the sword, "we are no threat to you and your territory." _Please, Odin, may it understand me. _It-wait Blu had told me it was he, hadn't she?-sniffed my palms, as if expecting an axe to leap from my hands. His forked tongue flicked out, coating my hand in saliva. I resisted the urge to squirm away and wipe my hands off on my pants. He looked expectant and I grew confused. "What?" a sudden thought dawned on me, "Please don't eat my hands." I could of sworn he rolled his eyes. He moved his head, going under my arm and toward Blu, who shied away. The Timberjack growled and she stopped. His snout nudged her side, sniffing and shifting her fur vest to the side.

Blu looked like she wanted to break out in giggles as his scales tickled her side in his search for...something. He seemed disappointed and pulled back, head before my palms once again.

"I don't understand," I told him, shaking my head in confusion. He licked my palms again and I resisted the urge to swat at him.

"Kat? I think he might be hungry," Blu whispered into my ear. I looked back up into his swirling eyes.

"Do you want...food?" I asked him cautiously. His eyes sparkled at the word "food." Dread filled me. "We, uh, don't have any here. We ate the stuff we brought." He did not look pleased. "B-but," I tried to placate him, "we have some back at our camp. We could bring you some food." He watched me suspiciously as I gestured in the direction of the clearing. "Would that work?" Before I could say anything else, his snout was against my side, pushing me to the side. I stumbled and I could hear Blu yelp as he did the same to her. He turned so that he was facing our direction. "What?" He pushed me again and I looked to Blu for an answer.

"I think he wants us to take him to the clearing," she said, moving to my side. I nodded and walked forward a few steps, Blu at my side. After we had moved a few feet, I could hear the heavy footfalls of the Timberjack's pursuit.

"Okay," I breathed, dragging the syllables out. Blu and I stuck close to each other, jumping when ever we would receive an impatient nudge from the dragon behind us. I would glance over occasionally, curious as to how he could fit in between the trees. His lower half would be up a tree, while he continued to move forward, and then he would shift so that he was on a different tree. Despite his immense size, he wound through the trees effortlessly. Having no limbs other than his head and tail seemed to make it easier for him to tuck his wings in and move through small spaces. I was pulled out of my thought as Blu nudged my side, pointing to the tree that marked our clearing.

We shuffled up to the rope and the Timberjack stopped, watching carefully. I tied the rope to Blu's waist and helped her lower herself to the ground. The dragon watched as I pulled the rope back up and wrapped it around my own waist. He followed me down the cliff, using his feet-like talons to anchor himself to the rocky surface. Blu stood off to the side, watching as I untied myself.

"Okay," I muttered. The fish basket was by the stream and I moved toward it, glancing behind me to make sure the dragon hadn't moved. I lifted the lid to the basket and reached inside, pulling out five smoked cods. _Please be enough. _The dragon's eyes zeroed in on the food in my hand and I could sense the hunger that radiated off of him. I slid closer to him and reached up, offering the fish. Even though he seemed to be starving, he took the time to sniff the offered food before snatching up every piece. My heart fell as he looked to me with unsated eyes.

"Blu," I gestured to the fish basket, never taking my eyes away from his.

"Kat, that's all the food we ha-"

"Either it's the food or us," I told her. Blu slumped in defeat and moved, dragging the fish basket toward me. I slid behind it, kicking it forward and letting the contents spill out. The dragon sniffed it. He looked up at me, then the food. It was gone in an instant. He licked his chops, looking slightly better, but I could still see the hunger in his eyes. He moved forward, until only his hind talons were left on the cliff. "No, no, we don't have anymore." I tried to move back, but his rumbling growl stopped me. He came close, too close, and sniffed my sides, looking for more. When he found nothing, he moved to Blu, checking her, but came back empty handed. He nudged me, seeming to say "_Go get more." _

"I will tomorrow," I told him, jumping everytime he touched me. He didn't like that. His movements became harsher and I stumbled, falling onto my back. Blu stepped forward, but I held up a hand to stop her. I looked up into the menacing, yet hypnotising eyes and whispered, "Let's make a deal." He stopped moving, focused on me. "I will bring you food every day, if you leave us be and let us take wood from you're forest." I reached a hand up, almost like I was expecting a handshake. His eyes followed my hand. "Do we have a deal...Dijiri?" The name was a spur of the moment idea, but I didn't regret it. It felt...right. His eyes looked me over, traveling from my knotted hair, to my dusty green tunic and ripped up black pants, to my worn out shoes, then back up to my outstretched hand. His head moved forward and my eyes shut, but the expected bight never happened. I opened both eyes and watched as he withdrew his snout from my palm. "_Deal," _his eyes said. Without any sort of warning, he lept into the air, and I gasped. His wings blocked out the sun and casted a shadow over the entire clearing and then some. Even after he was long gone, I didn't mover and neither did Blu.

"Did...did you just make a deal? With a dragon?" she asked breathlessly. I nodded, shutting my eyes against the suddenly boneless feeling. What did I get myself into?

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**A/N: Thank you for reading this chapter. Next week's chapter will be very late because I am going to be VERY busy, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated and smothered with love! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and will come back for more! BYE :D**


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